Manufacturers’ inventories contracted in January as the Inventories Index registered 37.5 percent, which is 2.1 percentage points lower than December’s seasonally adjusted reading of 39.6 percent. An Inventories Index greater than 42.6 percent, over time, is generally consistent with expansion in the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ (BEA) figures on overall manufacturing inventories (in chained 2000 dollars).
Computer & Electronic Products is the only industry reporting higher inventories in January. The industries that reported decreases in January are: Paper Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Chemical Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Wood Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Transportation Equipment; Machinery; Fabricated Metal Products; Furniture & Related Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products.
| Inventories | %Higher | %Same | %Lower | Net | Index | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Jan 2009 | 18 | 40 | 42 | -24 | 37.5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Dec 2008 | 18 | 40 | 42 | -24 | 39.6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Nov 2008 | 13 | 51 | 36 | -23 | 40.1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Oct 2008 | 16 | 55 | 29 | -13 | 44.0 |
